Maxim # 32: கடிவது மற -- Refrain from harsh words.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 32: கடிவது மற (ka-di-va-thu ma-Ra)

Translation: Refrain from harsh words.

Rumination: "கடிவது" means "using harsh words and "மற" means "forget." So this maxim exhorts one to refrain from using harsh words. Auvaiyar's exhortation to "forget" underscores the pragmatism behind this habit which has crept into our everyday lives. We feel momentarily powerful when we substitute dysphemism for euphemism. However, harsh words always leave an indelible scar on us, our relationships, and our opponents. Very often we realize much later in life that we could have exercised restraint. Using harsh words proves the vulnerability within us. The fear within us and our impotence often explodes as harsh words on others. Refraining from harsh words will be a big favor not to others, but to us primarily. We all have that as our weapon to wreak a surprise attack on basically anybody and it is this propensity that Auvaiyar wants to ablate once and for all. It is difficult, but then it can be an exercise worth considering. We must not forget to forget using harsh words and that is an uphill task.

Quotes: " Try in thine own experience, each; that ye speak not for one whole day unkindly of any; that ye say not a harsh word to any, about any; and see what [such] a day would bring to you…" -- Edgar Cayce Reading.

Maxim # 31: அனந்த லாடேல் -- Never indulge in sloth.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 31: அனந்த லாடேல் (an-uhn-dhal AA-dEl)

Translation: Never indulge in sloth.

Rumination: "அனந்தல்" means "sleep" and "ஆடேல்" means "never indulge." So this maxim means that one must never indulge in oversleeping or slothfulness. Our bodies need rest, certainly not slothfulness. It is funny to run into people whose only goal is to secure a sinecure for their career. Once smitten by this bug of sloth, a person's productivity plummets down so rapidly that it will be very difficult to restore it back. There are families, which have been torn apart because of one of the partners indulging in excessive sloth. It is a kind of latent addiction too. Rust formed on iron, if unremoved will ultimately eat into it completely. One has to consistently look in retrospection over one's life to see if sloth has crept into the inner annals. Procrastination is the harbinger of the setting in of slothfulness. Therefore, the only way to cut back on sloth is to sense and nix procrastination from all spheres of one's activities. Attempts must be made to keep one's mind healthy with more activities, if one finds extra time to spare each day. Research has proven that those who are consistently challenging themselves with mental exercises during and well beyond mid-age slash down the risks of being afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease or dementia.

Quotes:

• "You must avoid sloth, that wicked siren." -- Horace, 65-8 B.C., Ancient Greek Poet.


• "Thou seest how sloth wastes the sluggish body, as water is corrupted, until it moves." -- Ovid, 43-17 B.C., Ancient Roman Poet.
  

Maxim # 30: அறனை மறவேல் -- Never forget virtue.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 30: அறனை மறவேல் (aRa-nai ma-Ra-vEl)

Translation: Never forget virtue.

Rumination: "அறன்" means "virtue" and "மறவேல்" means "never forget." So it is "never forget virtue." In the very first maxim we were exhorted to "desire to perform virtue." Now it is time to be reminded of not having to forget the virtue earned. In a generic sense, virtue is an exemplification of attaining perfection in almost any sphere by a person. Virtue can be intellectual, moral, religious, human, cultural so on and so forth. To many attainment of virtue is a destination, its growth gets stunted. It is never as a life-long journey. Aphasia then sets in and the person is no more able to even focus on the virtue he wants to attain. Opposite of virtue is the vice. Though it may give temporary respite, it has the power to prevail over virtue. How many of us have seen otherwise good people having been addicted to pornography, lewd and lascivious lust of sexual addiction, alcohol, drugs, gambling etc? Any amount of flame can be extinguished by water, thanks to its innate nature. Similar is vice, capable of always prevailing over virtue. That is the reason, one has to always be mindful of attaining virtues. A person focused on virtues cannot be distracted by vices. Hinduism asserts virtue to be the fundamental constituent of the Law of Dharma. Many other religions do too.

Quotes: "Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue." -- Lord Buddha, 563 -483 B.C.

Maxim # 29: இளமையில் கல் -- Learn at a younger age.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 29: இளமையில் கல் (ila-mai-yil kal)

Translation: Learn at a younger age.

Rumination:This only makes sense, isn't it? "இளமையில்" means "at a younger age" and "கல்" is a double entendre that means "learn" in this context. "கல்" must not be interpreted to its other well-known meaning of "stone." So, better interpret it as "learn at a younger age" to something as ridiculous as "suffer from kidney stones at a younger age." I inquired my friend at work about how his two-year old kid was faring. He was at Cloud Nine to recall how alacritous the toddler is picking up Russian and English alphabets, numerals, etc. He also drew my attention to research studies that suggest that children's brain is distinctly different in composition and activity to that of the elders. Learning at a younger age is indispensable as studies show that the overall personality of a human-being is almost well established by the age of 5. Kids need interaction to learn at such a tender age. In the recent times, parents have cutback their interactions with kids due to invasion of TV into their bed-rooms, where TV performs the function of a baby-sitter to young kids. As the saying goes, "make hay while the sun shines," a kid has to be inculcated with positive attitude towards learning so that apart from co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, the kid can start learning from its own failings, trials, falls, etc. Rather than pandering to rear a mammothrept it would behoove well to rear a self-made person out of that kid.

Quotes: " When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that never happened. It is sad to go to pieces like this but we all have to do it." -- Mark Twain.

Maxim # 28: அழகலா தன செயேல் -- Never perform unproductive tasks.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 28: அழகலா தன செயேல் (azha-gu alAA-dha-na se-yEl)

Translation: Never perform acts that aren't beautiful.

Intended Translation: Never perform unproductive tasks.

Rumination:In this maxim, "அழகு" means "beauty" and "அலாதன" means "that which is not" and "செயேல்" means "never do." Therefore, it literally means, "never perform acts that aren't beautiful." "Beauty" in this maxim is an allegory to imply productivity of a task. Duality of nature, people, incidents etc. always surprise me. Even a flame needs its counterpart in darkness to reveal its own beauty. Only in the midst of the ugly, one gets to appreciate beauty. So, there is no point in exhorting anybody to just do "beautiful acts." Rather, how about, "do not do things that are not beautiful." Recently I came across a friend who had established a very successful career that would have made octogenarians envy. Within 5 years after graduation, this person had ascended the pecking order all the way from that of an entry-level worker to that of a working-partner. Whenever I run into different personalities like these I get into this Socratesian mode to question what is it that impels these persons to be so charged up? A dumb observation would then be, they were lucky. I honestly do not think so, as it only denigrates the success of the person. If it were to be luck, why aren't others lucky? I hear you say, well others weren't lucky enough to be lucky. Sorry, I am an existentialist when it comes to these questions. Auvaiyar's maxim attempts to answer this question. Sagacious people do not trade their energies on useless tasks. They have their priorities right and run towards their finishing lines with the finesse of an athlete. When a person expends his energies on negative tasks, it ultimately comes home to roost. Successful persons, then teach us that they were primarily successful not because they knew how to perform productive tasks, but more so in identifying, deflecting and avoiding the unproductive tasks.

Quotes: "To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labor." -- Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1894, (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Maxim # 27: வஞ்சகம் பேசேல் -- Refrain from malicious speech.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 27: வஞ்சகம் பேசேல் (van-jug-am pE-sEl)

Translation: Refrain from malicious speech.

Rumination: In this maxim, "வஞ்சகம்" means "malice" and "பேசேல்" means "never talk." Therefore a person must not indulge in malicious talk. This point has been repeatedly reinforced by our ancestors for ages. Malicious talk may have a few curious onlookers at the outset, but soon sets one's own house in fire. In the darkest abyss of one's spite, hatred, and ignominy the seed of malice germinates. It may start first as an insinuation, then on repetitious utterances gains notoriety as a credible notion and finally finishes the opponent of his rightful share to equality and freedom to reputation. It is interesting though, that a person who starts this game is ultimately caught into this thraldom because one cannot expect grapes from thorn-bushes. Anybody who speaks malice commits an act that is malum in se (evil in itself). Initially the person might feel happy that somebody else's house is under fire, but alas, those fires then engulf his own peace of mind to ultimately ruin his soul. As such Auvaiyar makes a strong case to refrain from malicious talk.

Quotes: "And the tongue is a fire. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue -- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. This ought not to be so." -- James 3:6-10, The Holy Bible (RSV).

Maxim # 26: இலவம் பஞ்சிற்றுயில் -- Sleep in silk-cotton mattresses.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 26: இலவம் பஞ்சிற்றுயில் (ila-vam pan-jil thu-yil)

Translation: Sleep in silk-cotton mattresses.

Rumination: This maxim has to be split rightly in order to derive sense out of it: "இலவம் பஞ்சில்" means "silk cotton variety" and "துயில்" means "sleep." Auvaiyar is not a marketing person for silk-cotton variety. Rather, her exhortation has to do with the quality of sleep itself. Studies show that very many people suffer from health issues because of sleep related disorders. Modern society has even started to treat sleeping time as unproductive time. Doctors suggest a minimum of 8 hours sleep each day for a human body to function properly. Preparations for competitive examinations, as well as parents' over ambitious nature are all undermining the essence of sleep in kids. The only way to stay invigorated each day and charged up to do the best at our work and studies then is to have a wonderful sleep each night, every night.

Quotes: "My mind is not a bed to be made and re-made." -- James Agate, 1877-1947, British drama critic and novelist. (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Maxim # 25: அரவ மாட்டேல் -- Never take risks for machoism.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 25: அரவ மாட்டேல் (ara-vum AA-tAyl)

Translation: Never take risks for machoism.

Rumination: I just laughed over this, but, was also taken back by the deep Philosophical meaning imbedded behind it. "அரவம்" means "snake," and "ஆட்டேல்" means "never flaunt." Tamil movies are replete with scenes of an effeminate hero handling a serpent by accident, only to turn the whole audience respond with a raucous laughter. Children have a tendency to just handle any object that attracts their attention. Despite being admonished, they evince keen interest in precisely doing what they are told not to. They are inquisitive and such activities boosts their self-esteem, and ultimately aids in their maturity process. However, Auvaiyar doesn't despise any of that. Calculated risks are worth taking, but not all risks are worth taking. Why would somebody flaunt a snake? It is not an act of macho, but moribund. Ipso facto, a snake never harms a human-being unless provoked. A sagacious act of transmogrifying an enemy into a friend is much better than provocation to war. Look no further than the Iraqi crisis for a case in point. We need snake-charmers not snake-flaunters lest we be bitten by those snakes! Auvaiyar's maxim must not be misinterpreted to shun taking risks, rather it has a subtle humor in it to demand prudence in all the risks one takes. Be prudent even as you take risks, can be another novel interpretation of this maxim.

Quotes: "Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences." -- Susan B. Anthony.

Maxim # 24: இயல்பலா தனசெயேல் -- Never perform deeds that are opposed to Natural Law.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 24: இயல்பலா தனசெயேல் (iyal-bu alAA-dha-na se-yEl)

Translation: Never perform deeds that are opposed to Natural Law.

Rumination: This maxim reflects the zeitgeist of Auvaiyar's times. My respect for Hinduism is very profound for its celebration of nature. Our ancestors were people who adored and lived in accordance with nature. Naturally Auvaiyar stresses the need for one to not be an iconoclast to keep burying the very foundations of nature. True, all tradition need not be universal truth and every tradition craves for reformation, which always comes in the form of a revolution. Caste is one such evil that prevailed and still prevails for centuries. Even the Christian world, which had treated slavery to be natural for aeons, nixed it out of their annals as an effete, unnatural blemish degrading the dignity of mankind, in the modern times. This maxim has to be split as follows to make sense out of it: "இயல்பு" means "natural," "அலாதன," means "that which is apart," and "செயேல்" means "never do." Therefore, it is literally translated as "never do things that are against nature." Take the example of Leo Tolstoy who considered military might as inherently flawed against Natural Law. Or consider Bapu Mahatma Gandhi, who took to Satyagraha in order to protest the British laws that were inherently flawed and stacked against Natural Law. These are great men who challenged ordinary men and women to question their consciences whenever they had to subscribe to man-made law that was intrinsically opposed to natural law. However, these are days where vulgar activism makes a mockery of the very concept of Satyagraha, non-violence, and non-cooperation. It is against these tendencies that Auvaiyar gives this caution: never do activistic foofaraws just so you get publicity to elevate yourself to a celebrity status. In other words, don't be flamboyantly chimerical. Just be natural. I mean, your own natural self.

Quotes: "It is so far from being natural for a man and woman to live in a state of marriage, that we find all the motives which they have for remaining in that connection, and the restraints which civilized society imposes to prevent separation, are hardly sufficient to keep them together." -- James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson (1791), 31 March 1772. (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Maxim # 23: மண்பறித் துண்ணேல் -- You shall not covet.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 23: மண்பறித் துண்ணேல் (mun-pa-Ri-thu un-nEl)

Translation: Never extort others' lands to feed yourself.

Intended Translation: You shall not covet.

Rumination: This maxim echoes the final of Ten Commandments -- You shall not covet. "மண்" means "land," "பறித்து," means "extort," and "உண்ணேல்" means "you shall never eat." Therefore, it is literally translated as "never extort others' lands to feed yourself." One need not be a 'Vasool Raaja' to covet and extort others. Covetousness then is buried deep in our day to day affairs, without us realizing it. The next time you have time to spare, please visit any Family Court to see how married spouses bitterly fight it out. Most of them fight not to save, but to lose (This statement is deep in its Philosophical connotation that I leave it to your interpretation.) They try to outsmart each other by literally ripping off the other party under the garb of equitable rights. The state enshrines Family Laws to make sure that a divorce does not incapacitate either of the spouse by enacting them. However high-earning spouses are merely treated as ATM machines to milch whatever one can under the guise of equitable rights and thus marriage and divorce have become leading industries that breed greed. Whether marriage is one about hearts, minds, or souls, it is very pertinent to note that divorces are all about avarice, greed, and inconsolable obsession about money! One can extend this simple illustration to many abuses perpetrated under the garb of equitable justice. Under the garb of global competition, we even justify the outrage of extortion being perpetrated under covert means. Countries extort poor nations under unfair global policies; companies extort clients and customers under unfair trade practices; people extort others through henchmen, lawyers, and hitmen. Covetousness is mean; call it under whatever sacrosanct right that prompts your justification. It inherently shows the moral poverty existing within a person. And guess what? No amount of the coveted substance can offer a sense of contentment to the covetous person. There lies the person's curse for all eternity. Auvaiyar's maxim clearly exhorts today's children to be instilled of the value of being contented and resigned to self, without transgressing into other person's possessions.

Quotes: "Thou shall not covet, but tradition approves all forms of competition." -- Arthur Hugh Cloud, 1819-1861, English Poet. (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Maxim # 22: பருவத்தே பயிர்செய் -- Make hay while the sun shines.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 22: பருவத்தே பயிர்செய் (pa-ru-va-thE pa-yir sey)

Translation: Plant the seedlings at the right season.

Intended Translation: Make hay while sun shines.

Rumination: This maxim reminds me of the sagic advice given by my friend, guru, and philosopher, Dr. Lt. A. I. Edinbarough at PSG Tech, who used to very often tell us, "Imagine an object caught in the midst of an eddy. Even though it is incapable of ascending up the air on its own, the very fact that it is in the midst of an eddy lends itself to transcend to greater heights. In life, we all need to seize the opportunity of landing ourselves right into the epicenter of such eddies. Success, then lies in doing things at the appropriate time, than in capable of doing things at anytime." I don't even know if my guru still recollects this, but yet I do. Anyways, the crux of the maxim lies in identifying opportunities and doing things at the right moment without procrastination. "பருவத்தே" means "at the right season," and "பயிர்" means "crop," and "செய்" means "sow." Therefore, the maxim exhorts one to "sow the appropriate crop at the appropriate season." In English we have proverbs such as "make hay while the sun shines," "strike the rod when it is hot," and "a stitch in time saves nine." I love the Latin Maxim, which is commonly used in everyday English: carpe diem -- seize the day. One has to literally seize the day in order to stay focused in his career and personal chores, which is not an ordinary thing in this highly competitive world. It is refreshing to see Auvaiyar using an allegory that is only too familiar to the Tamils of yesteryears, whose main occupation was farming. In fact, the recent spate of suicides in Andhra Pradesh was partly related to the agrarian crisis of poor planning on the part of the farmers who sowed the costly crops at a time when the international market for those harvested crops were plummeting down. In any case, we need to be prudent in identifying the right moment as well as be alacritous in utilizing the same to the fullest extent for our betterment.

Quotes: "Carpe diem." (Seize the day!)

Maxim # 21: நன்றி மறவேல் -- Always be grateful.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 21: நன்றி மறவேல் (nun-Ri ma-Ra-vAyl)

Translation: Never forget to be grateful.

Intended Translation: Always be grateful.

Rumination: This is pretty easy to understand as well. "நன்றி" means "gratitude," and "மறவேல்" means "never forget." It is good to forget certain things in life, but certainly not the acts of unconditional love, kindness, and benevolence extended to us. Being grateful of those favors extended is primarily for our good than to those to whom it was extended. If one turns ungrateful, that person is soon engulfed with hubris thereby denying all rightful contributions to his or her own personal growth. A sense of holistic belonging to a society with social responsibility towards others is completely forgotten. If we are grateful to the favors we have received, we will be impelled on our own to help others. That is why one must never forget to be grateful to all the blessings received. It is in this sense of reaching out to others that Auvaiyar lays stress on not forgetting our own gratefulness to others from whom we might have received numerous blessings for aeons.

Quotes: "One single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer." -- G.E Lessing, 1729-1781, German dramatist and critic. (Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 6th Ed.)

Maxim # 20: தந்தை தாய்ப் பேண் -- Safeguard your Father and Mother.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 20: தந்தை தாய்ப் பேண் (thun-thai thAAi pAyn)

Translation: Safeguard your Father and Mother.

Rumination: This one is pretty self explanatory. "தந்தை" refers to Dad, "தாய்" to Mom, and "பேண்" to "protect" or "safeguard." The Book of Tora common to three major faiths of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity has its fifth commandment as, "Thou shalt honor thy father and mother." Indian culture celebrates the ladder of perfection as a route that starts with one's mother, father, teacher and finally to the Eternal One who encompasses all the rest. However, the journey starts with one's mother and father. It amazes me that Auvaiyar is not exhorting subservience in a child to its parents. Rather, she shoulders a responsibility on the kid to "safeguard" or "protect" its parents. It is obvious that she is talking in clairvoyant terms with lots of hope in the young kids. These days, the value, honor, and respect to human life is being undermined in every way. Geriatric parents are considered to be an abominal excess awaiting good riddance. Career and personal ambitions allow no wiggling room to even consider the welfare of one's parents in any decision-making. I have noticed with pain as to how the geriatrics are lampooned, cursed, abused and even physically assaulted in India. Sudden spurt in hospices and homes for the aged are a fitting denouement to the crass indifference of modern day youths. Many tend to compare old-aged parents to that of kids. Sure, the former signifies the crepuscular twilight of the dusk and the latter the refreshing rays of dawn in the wonderful horizon of humanity. He who loves his kids, yet not his parents, seems to deceive himself. Because every morning ends with an evening. As my favorite lines of John Donne goes, "Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

Quotes:

• "I once picked up a woman from a garbage dump and she was burning with fever; she was in her last days and her only lament was: ‘My son did this to me.’ I begged her: You must forgive your son. In a moment of madness, when he was not himself, he did a thing he regrets. Be a mother to him, forgive him. It took me a long time to make her say: ‘I forgive my son.’ Just before she died in my arms, she was able to say that with a real forgiveness. She was not concerned that she was dying. The breaking of the heart was that her son did not want her. This is something you and I can understand."-- Blessed Mother Teresa.

• "It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start. " -- Blessed Mother Teresa.

Maxim # 19: இணக்கமறிந் திணங்கு -- Probe the congeniality before befriending a person.

ஆத்திச்சூடி # 19: இணக்கமறிந் திணங்கு (e-nak-kam aRi-ndhu e-nan-gu)

Translation: Probe the congeniality before befriending a person.

Rumination: The maxim must be read by splitting the words as follows: "இணக்கம் அறிந்து இணங்கு." The terms "இணக்கம் " means "congeniality," "அறிந்து" means "after probing," and "இணங்கு" means "befriend." Therefore one has to befriend a person only after that person's congeniliaty is well probed. My greatest asset lays in the camaraderie I enjoy with my friends. Each friend of mine is a crowning jewel in the diadem of my success. In contemporary language we talk about "matching of wavelengths." That is precisely what Auvaiyar lays down as a criterion to not just friendship, but to any relationship. In retrospect, I know where I had overlooked the wisdom behind this maxim when entering into what should have been a life long relationship as enshrined by our faith and culture of our times. Almost every society -- be it the West or the East -- is rampant with divorces, judicial separations, and annulments primarily because of the absence of congeniality and bonhomie in the persons entering into a relationship. Probing such a quality in each other is quintessential before consummating a relationship. In fact Thiruvalluvar wonderfully puts it in his Kural 510 -- "தேரான் தெளிவும் தெளிந்தான்கண் ஐயுறவும் தீரா இடும்பை தரும்," i.e., "Gaining a person without probing as well as suspecting a person after gaining always result in endless misery." Notice the stress given to "probing" on all these counts, before electing to have the person in a relationship. The secret to success of any relationship involving two people is pretty simple: just be as best friends to each other. And that can happen only when the probity, congeniality, and bonhomie of the other person is thoroughly probed before accepting into one's life.

Quotes: When you gain a friend, gain him through testing, and do not trust him hastily. A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter. He that has found one has found a treasure. There is nothing so precious as a faithful friend, and no scales can measure his excellence. A faithful friend is an elixir of life. -- Holy Bible, Ecclesiasticus 6:7,14-16 (RSV)